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Archaeologists Found a Copy of the Iliad Stuffed Inside an Ancient Egyptian Mummy
Researchers say the find is the first Greek literary text deliberately placed in a mummy during mummification, and it may help explain Roman-era burial customs.
- A joint team from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Near East discovered a 1,600-year-old mummy in late 2025 at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, containing a papyrus fragment of Homer's Iliad deliberately placed inside its abdomen.
- Known as Al-Bahnasa in modern times, the site holds a rich excavation history where researchers have recovered around 500,000 papyrus fragments since the late 19th century, including lost plays and government records.
- Linguistics professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego noted the fragment from Book 2 of the Iliad represents a "real novelty" because literary texts were rarely used in funerary contexts, unlike magical spells traditionally found in mummies.
- Co-Directors Esther Pons Mellado and Maite Mascort suggested the papyrus may have been intended to protect the deceased in the afterlife, though the team continues investigating the mummy's identity and other details.
- Ongoing noninvasive analysis seeks to determine whether the placement held symbolic meaning or if the papyrus was simply repurposed scrap material, a common Roman-era embalmment practice that remains poorly understood.
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This is the first time a Greek literary text has been found in a context of embalming, the researchers point out.
·Paris, France
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·United States
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The discovery was made by a team of Catalan researchers from the University of Barcelona. An exceptional find because this is the first time that a text is deliberately incorporated into a mummification process....
The find reveals a mix of Egyptian, Greek and Roman influences, as well as unusual burial rituals of the time.
derwesten.de+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Exceptional find in Egypt. Researchers encountered a literary treasure while digging out a mummy.
·Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 44%
C 56%
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